


Ghosts That We Knew

by TygerRises



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But he's about to be real happy, F/M, Fluff, Hope, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Seteth Spoilers, Seteth is tired, Spoilers, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), What happened if he found Byleth at the river?, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:35:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TygerRises/pseuds/TygerRises
Summary: Seteth's bones ache and the days aren't getting easier as he tries to keep the Knights of Seiros running. The Empire is closing in, but a walk by the river proves to be... lifechanging.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Seteth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Comments: 8
Kudos: 160





	Ghosts That We Knew

**Author's Note:**

> It always bothered me that some rando found Byleth after their sleep, so I decided to just change that up a bit.
> 
> Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM6EzfZQWEI  
> Mumford and Sons - Ghosts That We Knew

The days never got easier, did they?

Old aches and pains seemed exemplified when the stress of the Empire closing in bore heavy on Seteth's heart. He'd grown accustomed to life on the run, but that didn't make it any easier. How is it that his weary bones found their way here once again? Flayn had left something dear to her in the mausoleum, bringing them back to this shell of a Monastery, and the Knights of Seiros still needed organizing. Garreg Mach was a husk, a mere whisper of what it used to be.

Seteth felt the same.

So many memories had been made there, so many days spent in the Sun with Rhea, Flayn, the students... and _her_. Byleth, the sole source of so many precious memories. Compared to his exact age, five years still seemed like yesterday. After finally opening his heart to another, he'd been reminded how cruel fate could genuinely be. He'd dug and dug at the rubble, fingers, and palms torn to shreds as he tried to find her. He'd searched for days. Weeks. If she wasn't within the rubble, surely she was nearby? The Ashen Demon, both his tempest and his eye of the storm, surely couldn't - _wouldn't_ \- die.

And yet, here he was. 

Alone on the banks of the river, looking up at the shell of his old life that mirrored the dilapidated building at the crest of the hill.

"Rhea... Flayn... Byleth. I am sorry." He murmured, crouching in the soft silt at the water's edge. His hand grasped at some of the dirt, crushing it in his palm. 

"I did everything I could, and yet... I have failed all of you in one way or another. We had everything, but I was of no help in keeping it secure." Within the dirt, a single rock rolled around in his palm. Snarling, he stood and threw it as hard as he could. It soared into the air, dirt scattering before the rubble crashed into the water with a small splash. 

"Flayn was kidnapped, Rhea is missing, and Byleth is... _ngh_ _-_ " He doubled over and gnashed his teeth, fingers digging into the soft silt once again. His face burned hot as his eyes brimmed with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. 

"We had _everything!"_ He yelled, throwing his hands contents into the water, breathing heavily as the tears began to fall down his cheeks. Seteth knew how unprofessional and childish he was acting, but the ache in his chest roared like an unruly beast, and he lacked the proper self-restraint to process it productively. It was the same loss of control he felt whenever he thought about what to do next. Sooner or later, he would have to return to Flayn, and he would have to choose what their next step was. For now, he was screaming into the river and tossing whatever his hands could find. _Goddess, why?!_

His hands moved for another item to throw, fingers brushing against a cold piece of metal. He wiped at his eyes with a forearm and pulled the wet armor towards him, turning it over in his hand. An elbow guard? A multitude of bodies and armor had made their way into this river after the battle at Garreg Mach, but this close to the Monastery? This must be fresh, given the absence of rust. It looked depressingly familiar. Byleth wore similar, though she didn't truly need it. He couldn't remember the last time a weapon truly injured her. 

"I should rid myself of you." He stared down at the armor in his hand, unsure if he meant Byleth or the simple contraption that would probably create a satisfying splash if thrown hard enough. _We are never truly free from the thoughts of those we've lost,_ he thought sadly. Instead, he turned his hand over and let the elbow guard fall to the ground with an unceremonious thud. His rage and fear had subsided, the gaping maw in his soul filled with the same dull dismay he'd arrived with. At least the river had been good for something. 

The elbow-guard shifted in the silt, catching his eye. As the water ebbed and flowed against the shore, another piece of metal glinted for his attention. All the blood in his body ran cold. 

There was no mistaking it.

Byleth's medallion. 

Seteth's body moved before he commanded it, shedding his overcoat to plunge himself into the cold waters. He could not adequately verbalize the emotion that compelled him to dive, but his urgent eyes searched desperately for an unlikely outcome. _Goddess, please. Please. Please._

His lungs pleaded too, growing hot with urgency as he swam. Gritting his teeth, he swam to the surface for air. As soon as he'd recovered, he dove in once more. _Please._

Be it divine intelligence, be it sheer luck, something caught his eye — a body.

It was clothed in a black jacket that flapped with the current, various bits and pieces of armor attached. Seteth had all but memorized the attire, having assisted in both their removal and application many times. The familiar blue dagger at the belt, the knee-high boots... the _ridiculous_ tights... It was her. 

His Byleth.

Seteth's heart hammered against his ribs, threatening to explode from sheer emotion as his hand reached for her. He coughed, a sputtering bark that threatened to fill his lungs with water. Shutting his mouth, he made his way back to the surface with desperation. Barely allowing himself a moment to breathe, he ferally clawed his way through the water, desperate to reach Byleth at the river's floor. Every ache he'd felt, every string of fatigue that threatened to pull him down seemed to dissipate as he struggled against the current to reach his love. _Almost... there..._ His fingers reached for her hand, just barely missing. With an anguished cry, bubbles rippling towards the surface, he tried once more. 

His hand wrapped around her wrist. Cheering internally, he used his feet to push off of the floor and help skyrocket the two back to the surface. He knew better than to ask himself questions now; he'd have to act quickly if there was any chance of recovering Byleth. Despite the constant stream of anxiety-laced, agonizingly loaded possibilities that lay before him, at least recovering her body for a proper ceremony was now achieved. 

He broke the river's surface tension with a mightly yell, quickly tugging at Byleth's body to urge them both towards the shore. _Goddess, please. Please._ _Give me the strength to lose her a second time, or the luck to love her another._

The moment his foot reached the shore hill, he scooped Byleth up into his arms to run her out, carefully resting her in the grass nearby. "Byleth! Byleth, can you hear me?" He knew better than to check her heartbeat through her chest. He'd spent what felt like hours there before, lounging in her presence. It never beat for him. Shaking fingers pressed against her wrist and neck, hoping to feel a pulse there instead. It was weak, but there. The signs of life were all he needed to break down, choking on a sob as he leaned over her, overcome with emotion. His hands balled into fists as they gripped at the loose sleeves of her jacket, lips trembling with the cold as they muttered thankful prayers. 

Seteth slid his arms under Byleth's back and knees, picking her up with ease. Her mint hair clung to her face and neck, waterlogged and tangled. _What happened to you? Where have you been? Did.. did you look for me?_ Seteth tried his best not to lose himself in questions, draping his coat over Byleth before running. _Did you miss me as much as I missed you? Will those beautiful green eyes ever open for me again?_ His breath came out in ragged gasps as his muscles screamed for rest. He did not oblige. Fueled by desperate passion and urgency, Seteth jumped and lumbered through the woods, attempting to make his way back to the Knights of Seiros. A hand brushed against his chin weakly, stopping him in his tracks. 

Seteth's head slowly fell, looking down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were half-lidded, heavy with fatigue, and unfocused. " _Cichol..._ " 

The sound of his true name leaving the lips of the ghost in his arms was too much. He fell to his knees and steadied Byleth, wrapping his jacket and arms around her in a crushing hug. "Oh, _Byleth, th- thank the Goddess..."_ Her hands weakly rose to wrap around him lazily. Her embrace was weak but present. The touch of her skin ignited a flame within him. Determination. Love. _Hope_. The feeling was overwhelmingly warm, despite the external cold. His trembling lips murmured reverent prayers between joyous sobs.

He didn't need answers right now. He had everything he needed right here. There was hope in the darkness, and he had seen the light.

**Author's Note:**

> I broke my heart with this one, one of the sentences slayed me so I had to take a break for a second. Hahaha, thanks for diving into the AU moment with me~ Suggestions/critique/love always appreciated.
> 
> Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FM6EzfZQWEI  
> Mumford and Sons - Ghosts That We Knew


End file.
